Wireless LAN Uplink Relay Transmission for Higher Reception SNR

The patent introduces a relay station as an intermediary device between the access point and terminal devices. This relay station receives signals from the access point and forwards them to terminal devices, or receives signals from terminal devices and forwards them to the access point. By adding this intermediate node, the system extends coverage range and improves reception signal-to-noise ratio without requiring direct line-of-sight communication between all nodes, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and coverage limitations.

The patent establishes relay transmission links in advance before actual data transmission is needed. The access point pre-configures relay stations and terminal devices with necessary transmission parameters, resource allocations, and routing information through preliminary signaling exchanges. This preliminary setup ensures that when data transmission occurs, the relay paths are already established and optimized, minimizing the additional delay introduced by relay operations while maintaining improved reception SNR.

The patent designs the relay station to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a terminal device when receiving signals from the access point, as an access point when transmitting signals to terminal devices, and as a relay node for forwarding data. This multi-functionality allows the system to extend coverage range without requiring separate dedicated relay infrastructure, thereby reducing the overall signaling overhead needed to manage the extended network while maintaining improved coverage.